Illuminated sign



s p 4, 1951 JOSE ADOLFO MACAU v. 2,566,458

ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed March 29, 1948 UNREFRACTING COATING UNREFRACTINGI PURPURINE GOLD COATING l6 LAMP BLACK Jose Ada/f0 Macau INVENTOR.

-'i 7 y w e z V M Patented Sept. 4, 1951 ILLUMINATED SIGN Jose AdolfoMacau V., Santo Suarez, Habana, Cuba Application March 29, 1948, SerialNo. 17,762

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in illuminatedsigns and the primary object of the present invention is to provide adevice for obtaining luminous effects in color glass surfaces by totalrefraction.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a devicefor obtaining luminous effects as if in bold relief in a refringentmedium, either during daytime or at night, with the advantage that dueto an external cut off of the refraction of light rays originated from ahidden source, the drawings or images, drawn over the outer surface of atransparent plate become the only illuminated spot.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device forobtaining luminous effects in colored glass surfaces that is so designedas to facilitate the same to be employed as an aid for lecturers onscientific matters whenever the shifting of images may be necessary andmore particularly when it is necessary to apply images or indicia uponthe glass surface of the present invention and to conveniently removethe images or indicia therefrom.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a device ofthe aforementioned character that is simple and practical inconstruction, strong and reliable in use, small and compact instructure, neat and attractive in appearance,

relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and other wise well adapted forthe purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings for1ning part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the illuminated sign constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the present invention, the glass holdingframe, housing, and glass surfaces removed therefrom;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the presentinvention taken substantially on the plane of section line 3--3 ofFigure 1, and showing the glass holding frame, housing and glasssurfaces applied thereto in section; and,

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially onthe plane of section line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, where" in for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention,

1 Claim. (01. 40-130) the numeral l9 represents a hollow support orhousing preferably of resilient material and formed with a pair ofspaced upper walls [2 and I4 between which there is provided alongitudinal opening Iii.

Suitably fixed on the perforated, removable bottom wall It of thehousing I0 is an elongated concavo-convexed reflector or trough 20 thatengages a pair of spaced, complementary sockets 2'2 and 2d. The contactfingers (not shown) of a preferably fluorescent light bulb 26 that isloosely positioned in the reflector 20 to direct light rays upwardlythrough the opening it. The sockets 22 and 24 are connected to anelectric cord 28 that enters the housing if! through a selectedperforation in the bottom wall 18.

The numerals st and 32 represent a pair of spaced parallel,substantially rectangular sheets of plate glass, the opposed faces ofwhich are printed with unrefracting coatings t l and 36, one of which ispreferably lamp black and the other of which is purpurine gold. Thelower edges 38 and Mi of these sheets or panes of glass 36 and 32 extendthrough the opening It into the housing ill and are supported by aplurality of arcuate, resilient fingers 52 that are fixed to the bottomwall 18.

Suitably fixed to the upper edges M and 46 of the panes of glass 30 and32, is a, mirror 48 having a reflecting face that opposes the opening ISin the housing Iii.

The panes of glass 38 and 32 are held relative to each other by aretainer frame 58 that preferably encloses all edges of the panes ofglass but the lower edges 38 and All thereof.

In practical use of the present invention as the light bulb isenergized, the rays of light radiated therefrom pass through the loweredges 33 and 4B of the panes of glass (it and 32 in an upward directionuntil they strike the reflecting face of the mirror 48 whereupon thesame will be reflected back to the reflector 2B. When a pencil made ofunrefracting material, such as soft car- ,bon lead, is employed to writeor mark on the outer faces of the plates, the indicia or images 52 soformed will become visibl and the effect is the same as if drawn in boldrelief. Obviously, the coating of lamp black will facilitate thevisibility of the indicia on the outer face of the plate 30 during thedaytime whereas the coating of purpurine gold will facilitate thevisibility of the indicia on the outer face of the plate 32 at nighttime.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

Means for obtaining bold relief eifects on transparent glass platescomprising a pair of juxtapositioned substantially rectangular glassplates having lower edges received in said base, a coating of smokeblack on the inner surface of one of said plates, a coating of purpurinegold on the inner surface of the other plate, a frame joining theexposed edges of said plates, a, mirror supported on the upper edges ofsaid plates and held on the upper edges of said plates by said frame,and a light tube filled with a rare gas mounted in said base directlybeneath the lower edges of said plates.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,146,361 Spencer July 13, 19152,082,724 Shelor June 1, 1937 2,118,320 McEwen Ma 24, 1938 10 2,159,095Madan May 23, 1939 2,286,246 Yearta June 16, 1942 2,297,851 Wyss Oct. 6,1942 if FOREIGN PATENTS 15 Number i Country Date Great Britain May 25,1933 JOSE ADOLFO MACAU v. 20

